Birthday Quote

James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix November 27th 1942 – September 18th, 1970) was an American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter.

Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century.

Released in the UK on May 12, 1967, his acclaimed album Are You Experienced spent 33 weeks on the charts, peaking at number two – it was prevented from reaching the top spot by the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. On June 4, 1967, Hendrix opened a show at the Saville Theatre in London with his rendition of the title track from Sgt. Pepper's, which was released just three days previous. Both George Harrison and Paul McCartney attended the performance. McCartney described the moment: "The curtains flew back and he came walking forward playing 'Sgt. Pepper'. It's a pretty major compliment in anyone's book. I put that down as one of the great honours of my career."

In 1989, Noe Goldwasser, the founding editor of Guitar World magazine, described Are You Experienced as "the album that shook the world ... leaving it forever changed". In 2005, Rolling Stone called the double-platinum LP Hendrix's "epochal debut", and they ranked it the 15th greatest album of all time, noting his "exploitation of amp howl", and characterizing his guitar playing as "incendiary ... historic in itself".

The blue plaque identifying his former residence at 23 Brook Street, London, (next door to the former residence of George Frideric Handel) was the first one issued by English Heritage to commemorate a pop star, while the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music".

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace."

Jimi Hendrix

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